Speak Now
by Hobbity321
Summary: Rachel decides that he shouldn't be marrying the wrong girl...


**Summary:** Rachel decides that he shouldn't be marrying the wrong girl...

**Rating:**K+. One teensy curse word, hardly one at all.

**Pairings**_:_ Puckleberry, Finchel friendship, among others :D Klaine of course.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or the song. If I did though, the song would have a music video and Puckleberry would live on forever and ever. **

She had told herself numerous times that it wouldn't come down to this. She would not become a heroine in one of those sappy love stories that Santana secretly read.

She simply pretended the day was like any other. Waking up early that morning to a recording of The Song sung by A Person. She wasn't acknowledging the fact that the person or song had a name. It was supposed to help with the heartbreak.

It didn't.

_Sweet Caroline_

_Good times never seemed so good_

_Now I've been inclined_

_To believe they never would_

_No, no, no_

She got on her treadmill and worked until her lungs were on fire and she was collapsing from exhaustion. Tears came to her eyes. Unsure if they were from the fact that her legs were jelly and she felt like she was going to throw up, she slid down her exercise machine, curled into a small ball, and breathed deeply.

There is was. That familiar sting at the corner of her eyes as tears seeped through. She tried desperately to swallow the huge ball in her throat but it stubbornly came up. Her body began to rack with sobs, her throat and eyes becoming sore.

At least no one could see.

She sat there for what seemed like hours, crying, until her phone began to ring, the shrill tone interrupting her sobs. Blurry eyed, she stood and stared at it for a moment, debating on whether to answer or not.

Finally, she sniffed, wiped her nose on her sleeve and flipped it open.

A voice mail from Santana. She pressed the button and held it to her ear. "_You are a Broadway star_ _girl, not some weak-willed floozy in a movie, so you stop that crying right now." _

Rachel smiled as Mercedes' voice came over the phone.

There was the muffled sound of the phone being passed, then Santana's voice filled her ear. _"Don't let this _loco puta_ take your man, or Lentil, I _swear I _will kick your skinny white-"_

"_What she means to say is,"_

Kurt's feminine voice filled the speaker. In the background. she could hear Santana cursing in Spanish. _"The priest will say, "Speak now or forever hold your peace" at exactly 3:30." _

_**End of message. **_

She snapped the phone shut and looked at the time, mouthing the numbers. _10:45. _She had time.

She quickly went to her closet and dug through, wiping her tears away. Her eyes were probably red and her lips, puffy, but she didn't care. She felt the fabric before she saw it. Pulling it out, she held it up to the light.

Perfect.

She got to the church at exactly 3:00. The small church was packed; she had to park her rental car about a block away, but she didn't mind. The walk would help her clear her mind.

Cars filled the small parking lot of the church Quinn and her family attended. Shiny cars, mostly. His mother's car stood out against the rest, with it's small dinks and scratches. The sun shone high in the sky, clouds bright and puffy.

The usher looked alarmed at what Rachel was wearing. She silently took the invitation and pointed her towards the section where family of the groom sat. Rachel nodded a thanks, gave her a nervous smile, then walked into the church, the train trailing behind her as she quickly ducked into the back.

She felt like she couldn't breathe.

He was here. In this church, with her.

She went to the back section of the church and bumped right into a girl dressed in a puffy, pastel pink dress. The girl nervously stepped out of the way, cradling a cup of water in her hands.

"Sorry," she murmured, slipping past. She opened the door and shrieking spilled out into the hallway.

"...NEED COLD WATER, KATHLEEN, NOT WARM TAP WATER! ARE YOU TRYING TO POISON-"

Kathleen came out again, her eyes closed as she shut the door and took a deep breath. She was obviously fighting back tears, splotches of red on her cheeks.

If that were me, Rachel couldn't help but think, my bridesmaids would be holding back tears of joy. Not the other way around.

Rachel realized that she was staring and turned, bumping into someone again. Muttering a curse, she looked up-and froze.

"Rachel?" His brown eyes were full of surprise. He was still as tall as ever. His messy black hair was cut short and his face was more defined.

"Finn?" Her voice came out in a whisper. Abruptly, Finn looked up and over her shoulder, then behind him. Dragging her into a spare room, he shut and locked the door. She looked at him in alarm. "Finn, what-?"

"Quinn uninvited you. You didn't get the letter?"

Rachel shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, but he grabbed her arm. "We've got to get you out of here. If she sees you, she's gonna be super pissed."

Then he stopped again, turning to look at her incredulously. "Wait. What are you _wearing?" _

She fingered the lace. "It was my mother's," she murmured. She looked up at Finn, her eyes suddenly bright with tears. "She had it sized for me during the second year of No-" She choked on the name for a moment, that painful ball coming up again before she forced it down and looked at her friend. "Of P-Puck and my relationship."

He stared at her. "You do realize that you're wearing a wedding dress right?"

She stared back at him, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "It's bad, isn't it?" She put her head in her hands. "Oh God. I need to get out of here before I make a fool out of myself. Where's the door?"

She spied it and headed for it, but Finn blocked her. "No," he said sternly.

"No?" She bit her lip, looking at him with her wide, brown eyes. For a moment, Finn's breath hitched, then he remembered that he was in love with someone else. He shook his head again. "Rach, you've gotta do it. I know what you're going for, 'cause my mom watches a lot of soap operas and crap and I'm telling you right now, you've gotta do it. Quinn can go to hell. You deserve to win this time."

Rachel blinked back tears. "But she's so much prettier than me."

He brought her into his black-suit clad chest and let her cry for a moment.

"You're beautiful, Rachel. You're beautiful inside and out and Quinn..." He fished for words. "Quinn's not. He deserves to be happy, and so do you. So you go for it, Rach. I'll cover for you."

She sniffled. "Thanks, Finn. You're a good friend." She stood on her tip toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He checked his watch and pulled away. "Five minutes 'till curtain. I have to go join him."

He kissed her head and she nodded, resolve firm. "Okay, so here's what we're going to do."

She was hiding behind one of the large, royal blue curtains near the back. Finn had smuggled her there, with the help of Brittany who was telling her how much Lord Tubbington would love her dress.

Call her a coward, but she couldn't look out. She couldn't see him, otherwise the entire thing would be ruined when her knees buckled and people realized that someone was hiding behind a curtain.

It was important that she came out at the right time. She had to.

Quinn's tearful "I do" brought many sighs. The groom's voice sounded stoic and strong. His voice had reached deep within her and curled around her heart.

"...speak now or forever hold your peace."

There was a pregnant pause. And she felt Finn's eyes moving toward her in the back, urging her to come out, but she was frozen.

It was bizarre. She could stand in front of millions on nation television and belt out the lyrics to "The Star Spangled Banner" without so much as a quaver in her voice, but here she was, about to pass out from fright.

"Well alright then," the priest sounded dull, as if he'd been waiting for something, _something_ to happen.

"I now-"

"Wait." She rose from her crouched spot, her legs stiff as she came out from behind the curtain.

The entire section of Quinn's family looked absolutely horrified. All levels of blonde surprise, dainty pastel dresses and ties and mouths in an O shape. She could see his mother, her mouth curled into a slight smile and his sister's showing pure glee. She felt encouraged by that.

Santana, Blaine, Mercedes, and Kurt were smiling warmly at her, on Noah's side of the room. Brittany blinked. "Why's everyone so quiet?" She wondered aloud.

Her eyes went to the bride.

Quinn's face was red with fury, brown-green eyes narrowed and teeth clenched. Her hair was tied up and she looked nothing like a model-the way Rachel had thought she'd looked when she walked down the aisle with an almost angelic expression.

Finally, she dragged her eyes to him.

He looked like someone had hit him in the head with a shovel. Gazing at him, drinking him in, she met his eyes and they looked at each other.

His face slid into a mask. An impenetrable fortress, one that Rachel could very rarely crack.

She took a deep breath, letting out a shaky exhale. Her hands shook and she willed them to stop. Then, she did what she did best.

She sang.

_I am not the kind of girl_

_Who should be rudely barging in _

_On a white veil occasion_

_But you, are not the kind of boy _

_Who should be marrying the wrong girl_

She walked around the back. It was Blaine who started clapping to the beat. He stood and Kurt stood with him, naturally. Then came her fathers and soon, people who didn't even know her but saw her on TV were clapping.

Still, Noah's expression was inscrutable.

_I sneak in and see your friends, _

_And her snotty little family all dressed in pastel_

Rachel rolled her eyes, gesturing toward an aunt of Quinn's. The woman shot her a nasty look.

_And she, is yelling at a bridesmaid_

_Somewhere back inside a room _

_Wearing a gown shaped like a pastry_

Quinn's glare intensified and Kathleen blushed and began rebelliously clapping, against the rest of the bridesmaids' gazes.

_Thi-i-i-i-s_

_I-i-s-s_

_Surely not what you thought it would be_

_I-I-I lose myself in a daydream_

_Where I stand and say_

_Don't say yes_

_Runaway now_

_I'll meet you when you're out _

_Of the church _

_At the back door_

_Don't wait _

_Or say a single vow_

_You need to hear me out _

_And they said speak now-ow_

She swayed to the beat, her eyes never leaving Noah's. Quinn stepped forward but in a sharp movement, he caught her elbow and shook his head. She stared at him .

Rachel continued to sing, trying not to smile.

_Fun _

_Gestures are exchanged_

_And the organ starts to play_

_A song that sounds like_

a _death march_

_And I _

_Am hiding in the cur-tains_

_It seems that I was uninvited by your lovely bride-to-be_

Rachel looked at Quinn and saw her flinch as Puck raised an eyebrow and glanced at his fiance.

_She-e-e_

_Floats down the aisle_

_Like a pageant queen_

Santana joined her, their voices mixing, and she shot her friend a smile before turning back to Puck and looking at him seriously.

_But I-I-I-I_

_Know-oh-oo-oh_

_You wish it was me_

_You wish it was me, don't you?_

_Don't say yes_

_Runaway now_

_I'll meet you when you're out of the church _

_At the back door_

_Don't wait _

_Or say a single vow_

_You need to hear me out _

_And they said speak now-w_

Catching on, Santana, Mercedes, Brittany, and Tina began to back her up.

_Don't say yes_

_Runaway now_

_**(Run now)**_

_I'll meet you when you're out of the church _

_At the back door_

_Don't wait _

_Or say a single vow_

_**(Say a single vow)**_

_Your time is running out_

_And they said speak no-ow_

_Oooh_

_Ladada ah oh_

_Oooh_

_**(Say a single vow) **_

_Oooh_

Rachel was to the couple now, a few feet away. She gestured toward the priest.

_I hear the preacher say "Speak now_

_Or forever hold-_

_Your-_

_Pea-e-e-ece"_

_There's a silence _

_There's my last chance _

_I stand up with shaky hands_

_All eyes _

_On_

_Me_

She paused before looking around.

_Horrified looks from_

_Everyone in the room_

_But I'm only looking _

_At you_

She met Puck's eyes and singing softly sang,

_I am not the kind of girl_

_Who should be rudely barging in _

_On a white veil occasion_

Her voice rose and the claps grew louder.

_But you, are not the kind of boy _

_Who should be marrying the wrong girl_

She smiled faintly.

_So don't say yes_

_Run_

_away now _

_I'll meet you when you're out of the church _

_At the back door_

_Don't wait _

_Or say a single vow_

_Your time is running out_

_And they said speak no-ow_

!

_And you say_

...

The entire church hushed. Puck didn't even look at Quinn as he stepped down and looked at her, that same, unbearable expression on his face.

_Let's run away now_

_I'll meet you _

_when I'm out _

_Of my tux_

_At the back door_

_Baby-_

_I didn't say my vows_

You could barely hear him now, over the whoops and screaming and cheers but he continued singing, near shouting now, and tears were blurring her eyes even though her face hurt from smiling so much.

_So glad you were around_

He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes.

_When they said _

_Speak no-ow_

_**The end =D**_

_**I feel so accomplished...my first ever fanficone shot. After listening to Speak Now for like twenty-thousand time and going to be at nearly six in the morning. I've seen marriage fics I just haven't seen this so...hope you enjoy!**_

_**Please review and tell me how I did! **_

_**Song: Speak Now, by Taylor Swift. **_


End file.
